Social/Kiddies
Youth Empowerment And Positive Change
It is imperative that empowerment and development in all spheres of life must be pursued by governments at all levels to realise the potentials of the youth.
For statistical purposes, the United Nations (UN) defines Youth as those persons between ages 15 and 24 years.
Currently, there are 1.2 billion young people known as youth globally. They will be accounting for 16 per cent of the global population by 2030, the target date for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that make up the 2030 Agenda.
Apparently, the number of youth is projected to have grown by 7 per cent to nearly 1.3 billion.
The UN has long recognised that the imagination, ideals and energy of young people are vital for the continuing development of the societies in which they live.
It also recognises the young people as rights- holders and has over the years promoted and facilitated transparency, international organisations and others towards young people.
This had led to the identification of fifteen fields of action by the International Community which include, education, employment, hunger and poverty, health, environment, substance abuse, juvenile justice, leisure- time activities, girls and young women and the full effective participation of youth in the life of society in decision making.
Youths globally are increasingly demanding more progressive opportunities and solutions in their societies. The need to address various challenges faced by young people such access to education; health and employment have any more pressing than ever.
Another recognition of young people’s wellbeing, participation and empowerment of key drivers of sustainable development and peace around the world by the UN was the adoption of the 2030 Agenda involving Member States and civil society, including youth organisations in the development of goals and targets.
The responsibility for finding solutions to the challenges affecting young people lies largely with governments, it must seek to create an environment in which youth from different socio- economic backgrounds enjoy access to youth rights, quality education, employment opportunities, health services and youth work, among others.
Today, the world is home to the largest population of young people in history- 1.2 billion people. Meanwhile, close to 90 per cent of the world’s youth live in developing countries where they make up a high proportion of the population.
According to United Nations Educational Scientific Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), young people are also facing major challenges in both the developed and developing world. While many developed countries have seen prospects for younger generations increase, many developing countries struggle to create enough employment to absorb their demographic youth bulge.
Across the world, today’s youth are three times more likely to be unemployed than other adults with the global youth employment rate standing at 13 per cent.
In Pakistan, young people comprise 36. 9 percent of their population, but their share as entrepreneurs is very less. High illiteracy, low education, lack of skills training and scarce facilities and resources are some of specific challenges young people encounter there.
India has its largest ever adolescent and youth population in the world. Around 66 per cent of the total population (more than 808 billion) is below the age of 35. According to United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) projections, India will continue to have one of the youngest population in the world till 2030. However, unemployment is a major social issue in India.
According to reports, Africa’s population as a whole is very young, with 60 percent of the entire continent aged below 25, making it the youngest continent in the world, relation to its population makeup.
Subsequently, African youths are facing many challenges, including poverty, inadequate education, unemployment, and lack of opportunity. African youth are also at the risk of becoming victims of crime, HIV/ AIDS and other diseases.
One big challenge is that African youth are often not given the opportunity to learn and grow. This is often due to poverty or poor education. Most often, families do not have the money to send their children to school, thereby not giving the African youth the opportunity to learn component life skills.
Another challenge was that the African youth were often not given a voice. They are often too afraid to speak out because they do not have any power or representation. This means they are not able to change their situation or advocate for themselves.
From statistics, Nigeria has the largest population of youth in the world, with the median age of 18.1 years. About 70 percent of the population are under 30 and 42 percent are under the age 15.
As of August 2022, youths account for 70 per cent of the 217 million of Nigeria’s population which indicates 151million youths.
The size and youthfulness of the population can offer great potential to expand Nigeria’s capacity as the regional economic hub of Africa.
However, in Nigeria, youth face several challenges including unemployment, limited technical and vocational skills, limited inclusion in social and political space and lack of financing for ventures and businesses.
According to an African Research Review by Beatrice Ifeoma Ajufo, unemployment has become a major problem affecting the lives of Nigerian youth, causing increasing militancy, violent crimes, kidnapping, restiveness and socially delinquent behaviour.
“Youth unemployment is devastating to both the individual and the society as a whole both psychologically and economically”, she said.
A Nigerian Economist and President of the African Development Bank, Akinwumi Adesina stated that the youth are not the problem of Nigeria; the youth are the assets of Nigeria.
He also stated that Nigeria must embark on bolder measures to grow its youth into a well trained globally competitive workforce, noting that, “Nigerian government must invest and empower young people by offering innovative policies, this will guarantee their global competitiveness”.
The youth must be empowered to play a vital role in their own development as well as
in that of their communities, helping them to learn vital life-skills, develop knowledge on human rights and citizenship and to promote positive civic action is key.
To participate effectively, young people must be given the proper tools, such as information, education about and access to their civil rights.
Young people are a major human resource for development and key agents for social change, economic growth and technological innovation.
Participation in decision-making is a key priority area of the UN agenda on youth. In 1995, on the tenth anniversary of International Youth Year, the United Nations strengthened its commitment to young people by adopting the World Programme of Action for Youth (WPAY), an international strategy to more effectively address their problems and increase opportunities for participation in society.
The international community has reaffirmed its commitment to youth participation through UN General Assembly resolution 58/133, which reiterates the “importance of the full and effective participation of youth and youth organisations at the local, national, regional and international levels in promoting and implementing the World Programme of Action and in evaluating the progress achieved and the obstacles encountered in its implementation”. Subsequent resolutions have also dealt with policies and programmes involving youth as well as promoting youth participation in social and economic development.
This boils down to youth empowerment and helping the youth to succeed in all areas of their lives. It is the responsibility of all governments to assist the youth in any form.
Governments should involve youth by recognising their needs. Allowing them to participate in implementing youth programmes will enhance the empowerment and development process. This responsibility does not only fall on the government but on all of us.
By: Ibinabo Ogolo
It is the idea of God that family should exit. Children form part of the family. God loves family so much that Jesus was born into the family of Joseph.
Everyone’s family is good and important. Children should not look down on their family whether they are rich or poor.
Children should respect and honour their family and foster love among their siblings. They should work together and make peace in the family. They should always stand in the gap. It is good for family members to carry all along since everyone may not be doing well.
The Christianity that children learn is practised in family. Faith-based organisations do a great job in moulding children’s character. Those are the behaviours that children exhibit towards siblings in family.
Every child born in a family is there for a purpose. A baby born into a family is supplying something. It may be joy, wealth and so on. Everyone is important in a family.
Adolescents who have graduated from school but may not be contributing financially can do one or two things at home. You can engage in preparing meals at home while parents are away for a job or business. Contributing in house chores will go a long way to relieve parents of stress after a day’s job.
What do you contribute to your family, especially during holidays both in nuclear and extended family?
The family you were born is constant but friends are temporary. You can decide not to continue in friendship but you cannot cut off your family. No matter how bad you think your family is and you decide to leave home, you must surely return. Your friends can harbour you for a while.
The child’s first identity comes from the family. What the child learns first comes from the family.
Family is the centre of love and care. People have started playing down on marriage because of neglect on basics of family. Marriage starts today and and the next few months, it is threatened. Respect for family plays a crucial role in marriage.
No child grows without parental control and influence. If a child refuses to grow without taking instructions from parents, he may grow up being wild. There are consequences when children do not obey their parents. There are those who want to be rebellious against their parents. They should know that their length of days are tied to their parents.
Your bioligical parents know you more than every other person. There is the wisdom and knowledge your parents have that you do not so it is proper to listen to them before choosing carriers both in academics and job. A young man or woman can choose who to get married to, but a greater role in the choice of who to marry and the marriage proper comes from the parents.
They know what is best for you. No matter how modern trends will influence you and prove it wrong, parent is the key. No one can love you more than your parents because they are your blood.
A lot of parents have been traumatised due to the fact that children they nurtured and trained turned their back on them at older age. Children should not abandon their parents for any reason.
As you grow up, situations may arise in marriage when you decide it is over with your spouse, but no matter the level of provocation with your parents, they will not despise you. Parents will also play a role in that regard. Problem arises in every family but how it is handled matters a lot.
Some children honour their mentors more than their parents. Although there are parents who shy away from their responsibilities. It is important that parents take full responsibility of their children. You cannot bring a child to the planet earth and refuse to perform roles as a parent. But parents may not quantify what they spent from childhood to adolescence. That is a blessing children cannot get from another person.
There are people who have attributed their failure in life to the fact that their parents, especially mothers are witchcraft. It is wrong to feel that your mother is instrumental to your failure in life. The only way to success is hardwork.
Let money not determine the level of love for your parents. Wherever a child goes, family is constant.
Eunice Choko-Kayode
Naturally, when a child is born, it is the role of the father and mother to decide a suitable name for the child. The husband and wife normally discuss and suggest the English or vernacular name of the baby.
But sometimes, when a baby comes into a family, grandparents hearts are usually filled with joy to the extent that they want to answer present, by giving their own names not minding the fact that the biological parents have given theirs.
This happens mostly when the marriage is an inter-tribal one. It also happens even in intra-tribal marriage. Grandparents want equal representation as far as naming a child is concerned. They also have special names as a result of circumstances surrounding the birth of the child.
This is still happening till date.
A lot of people have viewed this in different ways but there is nothing wrong about it. The most important thing is that the child bears as many names as he or she can. But one thing is certain, the child must bear one name in school.
Should circumstance determine a child’s name?
Women who are more emotional are always eager to name their children considering the circumstances surrounding the child’s conception and arrival.
The issue of grandparents naming a child comes up mostly when it is the first of the family.
In naming children by some parents in the olden days, they named their children according to the days in the week in which they were born, like Sunday, Monday, Friday and so on.
You may be shocked to hear that whether a child is given 10 names by parents or grandparents, when he or she grows up, will decide to change. There are several cases where some persons decided to change especially when they feel that the names given by their parents and grandparents do not give them joy. If they are not doing well in life, they may claim that their misfortune is caused by the name their parents.
Competition among children in schools be it primary, (kindergarten) and secondary come in different forms. It can be Mathematics , debate, quiz, spelling bee,competition, from organisations like Cowbell, multi-national companies, faith-based organisations among others.
They are organised mostly for selected intelligent ones, the best among their peers to represent a class, school or group. Prizes are normally set aside for the best as well as consolation prizes for runners-up at the end of each session.
The question is, are children willing to accept defeat when they fail? As parents, guardians, can you encourage your children or wards to accept defeat instead of shouting and comparing them with others who may be performing better either in schools or outside.
Some parents may be blaming their children for not doing well in competitions. They will like to tell their children if others who may perform better have ten heads. Those group of parents blame their children for every failure.
For your children to do better in competition, the parents too must have emotional intelligence. When you continue to blame your children for failure, how intelligent are you?
Some parents always want their children to be in the 1st position and unhappy whenever they secure 2nd position. There were instances where children smashed their trophies because they never got the position they wanted to get and their parents supported them.
Children should be able to accept it whether they win or not. They should be encouraged for every performance. Discourage the issue of “shame, shame, shame, shame”.
A parent says she always tells her children to win even if they will fail. Always give them the mentality that they can win. Children should be given the impression that they can win prizes and laurels in every competition.
Parents should not isolate their children from others in the neighbourhood. Allow them to play with others. Don’t threaten your children that you may not pay their schools fees if they fail. Comparing them with others may encourage or discourage them.
Coming first or getting award as a first class student from the university sometimes does not mean that the person is the best. And if the child does not merit any award in the lower classes, does not mean that he can not merit first class also.
It should be noted that coming first in academic competition may not really mean that the competitor will be the best at work place or business.
Accepting defeat is a way to move higher. Even if a child who competed with others did not come first, there are consolation prizes for runners-up. When you advise the child to accept defeat, you are encouraging her to win in next competition.
Remember all children cannot be on the same knowledge level Their learning abilities defer.
Eunice Choko-Kayode
